The inventor of the present invention has previously discovered that pain resulting from exposed or damaged nerve ends, commonly referred to as phantom limb pain, can be relieved or alleviated by shielding the painful area with a cloth woven from a yarn containing threads of a conductive metal. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,473, which issued to the inventor on Mar. 31, 1987, this pain reduction method has also been found to be effective to reduce stump spasms and stump pains in amputees, pain from scars other than those resulting from amputation and also arthritic pain and menstrual pain and cramps.
The yarn of the cloth used in this previously-discovered method is preferably composed of from 2 to 35% by weight of conductive metal filament, and the balance of natural or synthetic textile fiber such as nylon. The metal may be any conductor, but a stainless steel alloy has been found to be effective.
The inventor of the present invention has also discovered that a similar method can be used to relieve muscle pain and soreness and reduce nervousness in horses. This method of treating horse pain and nervousness comprises fashioning a horse blanket of a cloth woven from a yarn containing threads of conductive metal, and placing it on the horse. This method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,877, which issued to the inventor of the present invention on May 2, 1989.
It has now been discovered that a similar method may be implemented in the reduction or alleviation of delayed onset muscle soreness in humans. Delayed onset muscle soreness is the feeling of ill-localized pain, tenderness, deep ache and stiffness in muscle that begins several hours after exercise. Such soreness particularly affects inactive people after a bout of unaccustomed exercise which involves a significant eccentric component. Eccentric muscle actions involve actively resisting the lengthening of the muscle and are characterized by high tension on muscle fibres and connective tissue. The severity of delayed muscle onset soreness is highly variable, ranging from a mild soreness to a debilitating pain which limits normal muscle usage.
Although the cause of this soreness is not completely known, one hypothesis is that damage to muscle ultrastructure during unaccustomed exercise initiates an inflammatory response which stimulates intra-muscular pain receptors. Other theories suggest that muscular pain receptors are stimulated or sensitised by other than inflammatory mediators, for example, by intracellular metabolites or by one or more of the byproducts of proteolysis (for example: histamine, acetylcholine, bradykinin, potassium, and PGE). These physiological reactions are different from those responsible for phantom limb pain.
Traditional treatment of muscular or "soft tissue" injuries involves the application of the so-called "R.I.C.E." principles--"rest", "ice", "compression", and "elevation". These activities are directed primarily to reducing inflammation which, as noted above, is likely to be responsible for muscle soreness. Other treatments include the prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or, more recently, anti-prostaglandin medications. The inhibition of prostaglandin production, for example, by drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid and ibuprofen, has found to be helpful in reducing muscle soreness. However, these treatments do not completely alleviate delayed onset muscle pain, and many people are averse to taking such medications.
It has now been discovered that the wrapping of a sore body portion of a human (a thigh, for example) with a cloth partly woven from metallic fibers, also alleviates such delayed onset muscle soreness.
According to one theory, the nervous system is normally shielded by a healthy layer of skin from electromagnetic radiation or random electric currents, whether from the sun or other sources both natural and manmade.
The concept of electromagnetic shielding is well known. A sheet of conductive material placed between points A and B serves to shield point A from changes in an electromagnetic field occurring at B. The same effect is approximated when a grid or network of conductors is substituted for the sheet of conductive material. Such a grid is sometimes referred to as a Faraday cage, particularly when an object is completely surrounded by such grid to shield it from changing electro-magnetic fields. For example, a grounded Faraday cage may be used to shield an object from lightning.
Textile materials which are partly woven from metallic fibers are well known for various uses. One reason for including metallic fibers in textiles has been the esthetic appearance of the fabric. Textiles containing metal fibers have also been used to increase the strength and resistance to stretching of the fabric, to provide a heat reflecting fabric for use in protective clothing, or to form an electrically conductive fabric for use in clothing to reduce the build-up of static charges and avoid the dangers created by static discharges through sparking. Various methods are known for manufacturing such textiles. One known method is to weave the textile from yarn composed of a relatively small quantity of metal filaments, whether continuous or discontinuous, along with the textile fiber.